


Grounded Birds, Secular Angels

by AnimusStuff (DarthAnimus)



Category: BIRDMEN - 田辺イエロウ | Tanabe Yellow
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Universe Alteration, experimenting with powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 11:01:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13145292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarthAnimus/pseuds/AnimusStuff
Summary: Post Chapter 42. After a hypothetical conclusion to the Searching for Takayama Arc, the Bird Club try to intergreate Takayama back into the group.





	Grounded Birds, Secular Angels

**Author's Note:**

> My Birdmen Secret Santa gift for [Vampiregokudera](http://vampiregokudera.tumblr.com/)

To be honest, Eishi hadn't had any idea what would happen when the Bird Club left Japan behind. They'd had some set goals, with finding Takayama, meeting others like them and making themselves harder targets for Eden being the primary ones, but there had also been a real risk of them making things harder for themselves.

What if they made it easier for Eden to catch them by travelling in unpopulated areas? What if the other Birdmen were hostile or antisocial? What if Takayama came back and they missed each other? Even with those worries in mind they all decided that they'd never know unless they tried.

While Eishi had been fully ready to take off by himself, he had been heartened and even glad that all of his friends, and Irene, insisted on coming along. He knew he'd worry about them incessantly while travelling, but he knew he'd have worried about them even if they'd stayed behind in Japan. At least now he could keep an eye on them.

They'd all learned a great deal while travelling, becoming better and stronger with their powers. They'd encountered other Birdmen with different abilities, but their group had stayed the same size as when they'd left. They'd heard news of Eden, whispers and rumors but nothing certain and nothing threatening them yet.

They'd also finally found Takayama, after several months of searching and had now been trying to get him used to being around others on a regular basis again. Takayama had encountered other Birdmen on his travels, but he'd never stayed around others for long, so his social skills seemed to have stunted back to same level they'd been when Eishi and the rest had first become Birdmen if not even below that.

As such, training Takayama to get used to having others around again was an important priority to the Bird Club. They had to take it a bit at a time, engaging Takayama in a couple of activities or conversations during the day before letting him be on his own for a bit again. Eishi took it as a challenge, like the taming of a wild animal, but he knew some of the group were worried that if they weren't careful enough, Takayama would vanish again. He'd caught Tsubame shooting worried glances at Takayama, to make sure he was still there, on more than one occasion.

There were warning signs around Takayama, but Eishi suspected he'd seen the most of them: the distance he kept, the cryptic way of talking he had and the almost constant sense that he was expecting something. These were the things that made the Bird Club wonder about the potential for change in them, and if Takayama had left to change and them showing up and dragging him around the world's countryside had halted that process. What if he still yearned for it?

Eishi didn't like to think that he was holding Takayama back. But, he wondered about the ethereally white void and wings over wings he'd seen in his dreams in the days, weeks and months the Bird Club had waited and searched after their missing member.

What if Takayama had been meant to become something more, something he could only become by himself, and the rest of them were holding him back by pulling him in and keeping him put, surrounded by them?

Takayama had said he'd preferred being around friends to being alone, like he'd been before. Eishi couldn't imagine him changing his mind so casually, even if the change brought some form of growth.

Takayama did many things Eishi didn't think he could imagine, however. Takyama seemed to defy classification, analysis and expectations all at once.

Sometimes, when Eishi wasn't looking at him directly, but from the corner of his eye, Takayama didn't look as he normally did. For those brief, passing glances he looked like he had more wings to count and like their color was being bleached out. Still, every time Eishi tried to take a closer look, it was just plain Takayama every time.

Eishi wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him, resurrecting the visions from those worried dreams he still wasn't sure weren't anything more than just dreams. Takayama had seemed so unreachable then, when they'd had no idea when or where they could find him or even if they _could_. Just the thought of it being impossible had spurred Eishi on with the determination to prove those thoughts wrong.

Even now, Takayama seemed more distant than before, not telling why he'd left, where he'd been and why. Maybe that was why Eishi still remembered those dreams, why they still lurked in his thoughts and sights. Maybe Tsubame wasn't the only one worried Takayama might disappear.

Eishi wasn't done yet, but neither was he ready to quit yet.

So, fun group activities it was. The primary goal of this second part of their world tour of sorts was socializing the hermitic Birdman to act more like he used to.

This time Eishi was in charge of engaging Takayama. They'd all settled for a rest at a frozen lakeside, marvelling at the wintery landscape. The rest of the flock had immediately engaged each other in a snow fight. Kamoda and Irene were having somewhat of a lead on Tsubame and Sagisawa, but that might have partially been because Tsubame wasn't above taking pot-shots at everybody, including her own teammate. Eishi's bet was that the battle would evolve into a Battle Royale once Tsubame decided to wipe everyone out.

Play fighting was a concept the newly rejoined Takayama was still having trouble with, so it was up to Eishi to figure out something for them to do on their twosome. Eishi'd had an idea ever since he'd seen the iced over lake, and he mused Takayama could just as well learn to protest if he didn't like Eishi testing the capabilities of their powers as a form of entertainment.

Takayama had always seemed interested in Eishi's ideas, actually, so that probably wouldn't be a problem.

"Look at this," Eishi said as he stood on the ice. "I think I figured out a way to reapply those hand blades you use." It was easy, once he'd gotten the idea, to form blades on the soles of his feet rather than on his arms. It was merely a matter of making them narrow enough to substitute for skates.

Eishi turned his attention away from his self-made skates to Takayama, to see him stealing glances at the snowball fight still going on in the background.

"Hey, Takayama!" Frankly, Eishi thought he was doing something really cool here, and Takayama should appreciate it more. Takayama had always appreciated Eishi being inventive with their powers before, had even used some of his ideas.

Takayama's fathomless eyes were now on Eishi, studying his shaky posture on the skates. Eishi was somewhat embarrassed by his poor balance but he would bear with it as long as he didn't fall and make it worse. He'd gotten used to being embarrassed anyway, with the way his friends liked to tease him.

"They'd be better in a fight if you made ones on the tips of your feet," Takayama finally said. Still, there was that familiar hint of him learning something new from Eishi again. It was grounding, knowing that Takayama could still learn along with them, despite whatever ascension business he'd been wrapped up in.

"They're not for fighting," Eishi said with the highest amount of poise he could manage. He was really regaining his confidence now. "They're for _skating_." For emphasis, he turned and kicked a bit, sliding across the ice slowly, not daring to go faster on his first attempt at this and screw up. "Even from just a practical standpoint, it's a way of getting across bodies of water when flying would attract too much attention." He glanced back at Takayama to see the other frowning thoughtfully. He hadn't been distracted by the snow fight again, which was a plus.

Actually, the sounds of the snow fight had faded away and Eishi looked to the side where the rest of the lot had last been. The group was a lot closer now, also watching what Eishi was doing intently.

"That's so _cool_ ," Kamoda said, breaking the silence with that forever-reliable support of his. Tsubame was practically vibrating with an obvious eagerness to try skating too. Sagisawa was already moving onto the ice and wiggling his feet, trying to get the blades to form. Irene was eyeing the ice distrustfully.

"Are we all going to do this, then?" Irene asked with obvious distaste. Regardless, she did shuffle closer when Kamoda and Tsubame joined Sagisawa on the ice.

"It's a learning opportunity, obviously," Eishi said importantly and shot a significant glance at Takayama's spot, wondering if he'd leave now that this segment of the lakeside was becoming more crowded. He was surprised to find that Takayama had already conjured up his own wing skates and slid past and around Eishi effortlessly before coming to a stop before him.

"You taught me first, so I'll teach you now," was all Takayama said before grasping Eishi's wrists. "Follow my lead."

Of course the idiot would be great at skating as soon as he tried it, and _of course_ he'd take the opportunity to teach Eishi. That was so much like the Takayama he knew. It was also all he had wanted when he'd gone to look for him, to go where he led again.

"Yeah," Eishi said, and didn't hesitate to follow.


End file.
